


Messaging Strangers

by Cloudery



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU, Angst, Anxiety, Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Human, Humour, M/M, PTSD, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-11-15 21:08:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11239245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloudery/pseuds/Cloudery
Summary: Based on this prompt from tumblr, 'my friend can’t stop talking about how they want to set me up with their other friend so we start texting each other and they’re hilarious but shy about meeting and ALSO there’s a cute bike delivery guy who brings my mail at work and winks at me whenever i sign for a package AU'When Clary gives Magnus Alec's number one friday, they begin to talk. Do they ever stop? Probably not.





	1. Chapter 1

“No!” Alec said firmly, but still smiling happily into his arms resting on the table outside of the bar.

“But Alec!” Clary argued, “he is so nice and I’m not ashamed to say that he's hot too!”

“No. I am not going on a date with your friend, who I don’t know, no matter how ‘hot’ he is.” he answered, using air quotes.

“Can I at least give Magnus your number? Most likely nothing will come from it, but just in case?” Clary said, losing all hope.

Alec sighed, “Fine. But you are not giving any more of your friends my number. Now, can we go find Jace?” He began walking into the bar before finishing his sentence, leaving Clary behind outside, trying to balance her phone and her drink in one hand.

Inside, the bar was crowded.  It was loud too, the speakers spitting out whatever seemed to be on the charts these days.  Alec didn’t bother with the charts.  He saw that Simon and his band were setting up on stage, but Alec spotted had brother talking to the bartender, Maia.  The Lightwood siblings had known her for a while, she and Izzy had gone on a couple of dates but soon realised that they’d be better off as friends.  Alec had gone from being the protective big brother to being best friends with his sister’s ex in a matter of days.

There was a large turnout; some obviously for the music, however, most were for the fact that it was ‘free drinks Friday’, the day where each person got one free drink each just for entering the bar.  Before he went away, Alec thought it was a good idea, but now that he was back and out of the hospital, having been for just six months, the crowds had begun to make him incredibly anxious.  He was usually okay surrounded by his close friends and family, though.

“Hey, Maia!”  He shouted, watching her turn around and beginning to walk out from behind the bar. Jace wondered off to find Clary.

“Hey!”  She answered, walking up to him for a hug.

“How are you?”  He asked, leaning into the hug slightly before pulling away.  They were best friends, but he didn’t really like personal contact, and Maia accepted that as she pulled away quickly too.

“I’m good! I heard you finally gave up with this Magnus thing? Clary is giving him your number?” She grinned, leaning on the bar and placing her hand on her hip.

Alec sighed, “She told you about that?”  He ran his hand through his hair.  “I’ve made her promise not to give my number to any other strangers.”

Maia laughed, “Come on, Alec. Magnus is really nice and he’s so easy to talk to.”

“Sounds like you want to date him.”

“God, if I was straight I would.”  She answered, completely seriously, placing her hand on his shoulder.  “Let’s go sit with the others? Simon’s about to start, and I need to kick out some people with fakes beforehand.”

Alec nodded, letting Maia lead the way.  As they walked, he also spotted his sister, Izzy, sipping on some sort of cocktail in the booth.  Izzy waved, in lieu of a greeting, and patted the seat next to her for her brother.  

“Hi!” She said animatedly, throwing her arm around his shoulder.

Alec smiled and leant into her, “Hey, Izzy. Thought you were meant to be working?” Izzy was training to be a forensic pathologist, and with that, she was currently interning as an assistant at the Brooklyn police precinct.

“Luke told me that I could have the evening off as it was Simon’s first night and I had been working so much these past few weeks.”  She answered, facing him. “How are you, Hermano?”

“I’m okay, just tired.” He said, rubbing his face. “The nightmares are a little more frequent than usual.”

“Are you taking your meds?” She asked, concerned.

“Yes, Izzy.” He said. “I’m okay, seriously.” He stressed.

“But you’d tell me, Jace or Lydia, if you weren’t?” Lydia Branwell was his therapist, the only person Alec would properly talk to about his feelings that weren’t his siblings. He liked her, she was good at her job and actually listened to what he was saying, without being judgemental.

“Yes, of course I would.” He said as he nodded. Izzy was about to say something, but Simon’s voice interrupted them.

“Hey, everyone! Woah, this is a great turnout tonight! Anyway, we… don’t have a name, but that’s okay! Just enjoy!” He said, picking up his guitar and quickly checking that it was tuned, before strumming the first chord and singing the first note. His voice was surprisingly soft but it had an edge to it that Alec liked, he was a good singer.

“Did you want a drink?” a voice said from behind, making Alec spin around, slightly on edge. He relaxed slightly when he saw it was Maia, raising her hands apologetically.

“Shit, sorry. Yes. Uh, can I just have a beer? Anything’s fine.” He replied. Izzy placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Are you sure you should be drinking?” She said, the concern showing on her face.

Alec nodded. “One’ll be fine, I think. I promise that I won’t have any more tonight.” Izzy patted him on the shoulder as an acknowledgement she asked Maia for another cocktail of some sort, he wasn’t really listening to anything, everything was background noise as he tried to calm himself down a little, rubbing his eyes.

“You really are tired, aren’t you? Do you just want to go get some sleep? I’m sure Simon wouldn’t mind, and Jace is pretty tied up with Clary right now.” Alec looked over to where Izzy was gesturing, seeing his brother hugging his girlfriend from behind, swaying along to the music.

He shook his head, saying no, but also trying to get rid the pain of a growing headache,“I’ll stay for a bit longer, if it’s too much, I’ll go home, I swear.”

“Okay.” She answered, keeping her arm rested against the seat behind him.  Maia was back with two beers and a cocktail by now, keeping one of the beers for herself, whilst handing the other to alec and the cocktail to Izzy.

“I’ve just finished for the rest of the night, time to relax!” She said, smiling as she sat down opposite them. Alec let both her and Izzy talk between each other, as he got his phone out. He mindlessly scrolled through the social media that he never used himself, only having to keep up to date with everything that was going on. He continued to do that, switching between the apps, until his phone vibrated, making him jump slightly, but not enough to alert his sister next to him.

It was an unknown number simply reading _Hello, Is this Alexander?_.

Alec debated in his mind for many minutes before he replied.

_Yes, and who is this?_ He wrote, pressing send quickly before he changed his mind.

The reply was almost instant. _This is Magnus Bane. Clary gave me your number? I hope you don’t mind me texting so soon._

Alec smiled. _Not at all. I was trying to find a way to distract myself anyway._

_Is everything okay?_

Both Clary and Maia were right, this guy was nice. _I’m stuck in a bar when I’d much rather be at home. This isn’t my ideal night._

The reply wasn’t so instant this time, and so Alec put his phone back in his pocket, joining the girl’s conversation.

“I think I’m gonna head home. Simon’s set is almost over, and I’m beat.”

“Okay, are we still up for tomorrow night?” Izzy asked. Alec spent one evening each week with his siblings, barring Max, who joined them monthly as he was still in school.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Are you cooking?”

“It’s my turn, so of course! Let me wow you both with my expertise.” She said. Alec inwardly cringed. Izzy’s cooking was nothing, if not terrible. It was usually burnt and they always ended up ordering takeout, instead. He looked over to Maia, who was rapidly shaking her head, warning him.

“I think we have different definitions of ‘expertise’, Izzy.” He said, sarcastically.

Izzy smacked him softly on the shoulder. “That’s rude! I promise that i’ve gotten better!”

“Alright, alright. Let’s see if you have tomorrow.”

“Okay! Bye mi hermano, I love you.”

“I love you too, Izzy. Bye Maia.” He answered, hugging his sister and waving at Izzy, before slipping out of the booth and walking out of the bar.

As he began to walk back home, his apartment being pretty close, he felt a buzz come from his pocket. _Sorry, I was just on a call. Was that Simon’s gig?_

_Yeah it was, you know Simon?_ He replied.

_Through Clarissa. She and I are practically family, and so of course I know him._

Before he knew it, he was by his apartment building. Putting his phone away, Alec unlocked the main door, before climbing up the stairs, onto the 3rd floor, where his apartment was. After unlocking and going inside his apartment, he walked straight down the hall and into his bedroom.

He was so tired. Alec had worked all day, running on barely any sleep, just caffeine. After finishing work, at the office where he worked as an assistant to the manager, he had gone straight to the bar. He had barely eaten all day, apart from a sandwich that Clary had bought for him, but all he wanted to do right now was sleep. So that’s exactly what he did.

Until 3am, when he was awoken by a nightmare.  They weren’t really nightmares, more of a flashback. Every time it brought what happened that day, with the explosive, and the gun, back to being fresh in his memory, as if it happened yesterday.  

It was obvious that he was screaming in his sleep, judging by the rawness of his throat, and there was no way that he was getting back to sleep now. He had to be up in a couple of hours, anyway, as he always ran before work. Lydia had told him that both exercising and keeping to a routine helped reduce stress and anxiety and so he compiled the two.

Rubbing his neck as he tried to soothe the soreness, Alec grabbed his phone, instinct by now. He stopped on the lockscreen to see a text from the same number as earlier.

_It seems as if you have fallen asleep. Goodnight, Alexander. I hope we continue talking._

Alec really had to save Magnus as a contact but before he did, still barely coherent, an awake Alec would know better than to text someone, especially someone he didn’t know, at 3 am, but that's what he did anyway.

_Yes, I did. I enjoy talking to you, and I like how you call me Alexander._

After pressing send, knowing somewhere deep down that he’d regret sending that in the morning, Alec pressed the 3 dots by his number, and changed it to simply say, ‘Magnus’. Getting out of his bed, Alec walked into the main area of his pretty open plan apartment, and got himself a glass of water.

Taking a gulp of it and putting it on the table against the wall, he picked up the yellow hoodie from the back of the chair and put it on, relishing in its warmth and comfort, something he always needed after a nightmare, but couldn't find the courage to ask for. He picked the glass back up and sat down on the couch, the place he’d stay for the next couple of hours, watching old reruns of ‘Full House’ before getting up again, going for his run and getting on with his day.

The run didn’t happen of course, as he fell asleep at around 4:30 am, before waking up at 7, and panicking a little as he had just 20 minutes to get out of his house, before making the hour and a half journey across town, to the office.

  



	2. Sibling Antics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is angry, and his siblings (and Magnus) cheer him up.
> 
> He also meets a cute delivery guy.

Alec’s day didn’t start so well. His train was delayed, and so he got into work 3o minutes late, not noticing the receptionist’s snicker as he rushed into the building, red-faced and out of breath, his hair a mess on top of his head.

Then, he was called into his boss’ office. This was a usual occurrence as he was his assistant, however, nothing was scheduled and Alec knew that his boss was a stickler for the rules.

Victor Aldertree was an asshole, in his humble opinion. He hated working for the man, let alone being his assistant, but he needed the money and this was the only thing he could find. He had tried going through the veteran boards first, but everything on there were things he wasn’t qualified for, as he skipped college and enlisted at just 18, instead.

On Alec’s first day, he made jokes about his newly diagnosed PTSD and Alec didn't say anything, he needed the money and the stability. When he found out about his sexuality, he made jokes yet again and this time Raphael, Alec’s colleague and Simon’s boyfriend, shouted at him. Aldertree acted like he didn't do anything, of course, meaning that Raphael got in a lot of trouble, and Alec felt so guilty.

“Hello, sir. You wanted to talk to me?” Alec said as politely as he could.

“Alec, we’ve talked about this! Call me Victor.”

“Okay, Victor. You wanted to see me?”

“Yes.” Victor replied, sitting in his chair, looking extremely bored talking to him, with his head in his hand. “It has come to my attention that your not, well, ‘performing’ as well at work than you used to. Now, usually we’d have to get to the bottom of this but given your, um,” he continued, gesturing at Alec with his arms, “Predicament, We are willing to let things slide. You should feel lucky!”

Yes, Alec felt so unbelievably lucky to have come back from war with bullet wounds and serious mental health problems. He bit back his anger, Aldertree was oblivious.

“However, I have some concerns. I am sure that you also most likely do not want to be in this job, but given your situation, you weren't qualified for anything particularly in your area of expertise.”

“And what exactly is my ‘area of expertise?’ I would like to know.” Alec started, getting angrier, but still in control.

Again, Victor had no idea what he was doing. Well, maybe deep down he did, but his ignorance was astounding. “You know! The uh, violence and stuff.”

Alec scoffed, letting his emotions wash over him. “I’m sorry? ‘Violence and stuff’! Your complete lack of knowledge on things that should concern you, given that your assistance suffers from a lot, is terrifying. I wanted to get as far away from the violence as possible after I got discharged, the only reason I took this shitty job was because I needed the money.” Alec finished, standing up out of his chair.

“Wow then. It seems like _someone_ is feeling bad today. I think you should take the day off.” Aldertree said, arms raised in mocked apology. “Without pay.”

Alec began to pick up his things. “Sure.” he said, adding a mumbled ‘gladly’ afterwards, making sure it was only for himself. “I'll let myself out.”  Aldertree nodded but before he could say anything further, Alec had already left his office.

He stopped at his desk by habit, sitting down in his chair and taking a moment to attempt to compose himself. As he ran a hand through his still messy hair, Alec looked up to see a delivery guy. An utterly breathtaking one at that. His hair was done effortlessly, coiffed neatly back. Alec looked closer and saw faint silver eyeshadow painted across his eyelids, reflecting off of his golden skin. His body looked as if he was sculpted like a God, big arms and a long, but muscular body, his legs seemingly never ending. And that was in his delivery uniform.

He looked amazing. And he was walking towards him.

Alec blushed, cursing the fact that his entire face turned red at any given moment, by the smallest of things.

“Hello, darling.” The man said, stopping to look at Alex's blushing face and smirking, knowing that he had caused that just by his looks. “I have a parcel for a ‘Victor Aldertree’?”

Alec rolled his eyes, knowing that this must be a personal parcel, as Alec ordered anything needed for the job. “I’m his assistant, I’ll take that.” He said, murmuring ‘probably not for long’ under his breath. The man seemed to hear it, even though Alec had thought that he whispered so quietly that he himself could barely himself.

“Bad day?” The man asked.

“You could say that. My boss is a pretentious asshole who doesn't know how to talk to people; let alone people somewhat ‘below him’.  I barely sleep, and I obviously don’t know when to stop talking.”  He finished, blushing once again.

“Well, you’re welcome to rant to me anytime.” The guy said before winking at him.

Alec was truly fucked.

“Um, thank you? I’ve never got that before, not that it wasn’t good or anything, it was fine  - I should stop talking.”

“You’re cute to wind up.” The man finished and smirked. “I should probably go, duty calls.”

“Oh, yes. Of course, I wouldn’t want to keep you or anything.”

“Have a good day.” He said, waving over his shoulder as he left.

Alec didn’t even know his name, but maybe this made his day just a little better.

 

 

 

Alec decided to run when he got home, he had the afternoon off, so why not use it. Getting changed, Alec picked up his phone for the first time since he left work, his data didn’t tend to work on the subway.

_Then I shall keep doing that, Alexander. Good morning, anyway. Or afternoon, whenever you see this._ The first message on his lock screen said. Alec smiled, if Clary was right for once, it was about how nice this guy was.

He had a couple of other messages, one from his brother, another from Lydia.

_U left pretty quickly last night, everything okay? We still on for this evening?_ The one from his brother read. Alec replied quickly, saying that he was fine, just tired, and yes, they were on for tonight.

Lydia’s read. _Hey. Just checking in. Obviously, I can’t push you to make an appointment, but it’s been a while, if you need to see me at all, don’t hesitate to call the office._

Alec had been given Lydia’s number a couple of weeks out of the hospital, after he had a flashback at work, ending in a black eye from hitting his head on a table, as well as a concussion.

Alec didn’t bother replying, he knew he needed to book an appointment soon, he feared his meds weren't working like they used to. Alec was barely getting sleep due to nightmares, and he felt a little more anxious in open, unfamiliar spaces than he usually did.

He put his shirt on before replying to Magnus, grabbing a bottle of water from his fridge and putting his running shoes on.

_I’m embarrassed about that message, I was barely awake, don’t hold it against me._

The reply was instant and came in two messages. _Okay, Alexander. I believe you._

And then, _Is there anything else you’d like me to hold against you? ;)_

There was a wink at the end. A fucking wink.

Alec blushed at the obvious flirting, something he wasn’t used too, but also something he seemed to be getting a lot today. He decided to play along, feeling weirdly confident in this situation.

_Not right now. Maybe later, however. I have it on good authority that you’re attractive._

He shook his head as he put his phone in his pocket, opening and then locking his apartment door. Sometimes he liked to listen to music, but today he’d just rather listen to the bustling of New York City.  Alec could easily run a 4-minute mile, having had ran 3 miles every day for the last few months, except those few days when he was visiting his parents, something he sadly hated to do.  It wasn’t like he hated his parents, it was pretty damn clear that they much preferred his siblings. Maybe it was to do with his sexuality, which was weird, seeing as Izzy was bisexual. Or maybe it was to do with the fact that his dad perceived him as ‘weak’.

Maybe it was something as simple as he didn’t do what they’d planned for him, at least the others went to college, or were about to. Alec didn’t really care anymore. He lost respect for their opinions years ago. He used to wish he had a better relationship with them, though. He’d found a real family now, however. In his siblings, and his friends.

2 miles into his run, he found himself at the store, realising that he hadn’t brought anything for tonight. Izzy was cooking (they were getting takeout), but he should at least get drinks, and maybe those weird chocolates Jace liked.

The store was relatively empty for a Saturday at lunch time. He walked slowly around, picking up a couple things for himself, as well as a bottle of wine for Izzy, knowing he had beer in his fridge anyway, mainly for Jace.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket again, and he pulled it out to look at the message.

_How was your morning, anyway?_

_Shit. Complete shit. My boss was a dick. But the day has gotten better._

_Because of me?_

‘Yes’, Alec thought. Originally he thought it was the cute guy at work, and the fact that he’s seeing two-thirds of his siblings tonight. But Magnus has played a part in it, albeit small.

_Maybe._

 

 

 

It was five to six, Alec was home and both Izzy and Jace were meant to be getting here in five minutes. Alec was excited, but his slightly terrible day has caused him to be just a little nervous. What if something had happened to them? What if they get into an accident or something?

He heard his phone make a sound, and so he pulled it out to find a message.

_Hey darling, how are you?_ Alec smiled, it seemed as if Magnus knew how he felt in that exact moment. Alec simply thought ‘fuck it’ and told him how he felt. It was weird, he felt as if he could talk to Magnus about anything, even though they’d only started talking yesterday; they hadn’t even met and Alec felt like they’d known each other forever.

_My siblings are meant to be at mine in a few minutes, and I just can’t stop thinking that something terrible has happened._

_That’s Isabelle and Jace, right? I’m sure they are going to be okay, Alexander. But it is okay to worry, I sure know how it is to care and worry about someone._

Alec sighed happily, Magnus seemed to just be so nice and caring, what had he done to deserve all of this?

_Thank you. It’s just that I’ve almost lost them before, and they are all I have left._

_They are going to be fine. Just think, they might even be climbing the stairs right now._

Alec heard a knock on his door as he read the message and let out a breath. Magnus was right, they were fine. Walking to open the door, he heard a suspiciously Max-like giggle come from behind the door. The first person he saw once opening the door was in fact, his younger brother, a grin spreading across his face.

“Max!” He said, feeling his brother’s arms around his neck. “What are you doing here?” He finished, returning the hug. Max was almost as tall as him now, apart from a couple inches, but Alec still sometimes saw him as a 10-year-old.

"Izzy asked Mum if I could come down for the weekend, and now here I am!" He answered animatedly. Alec looked at Izzy with a smile that reached his eyes, as if to say thanks. Izzy nodded, her smile just as wide.

Alec let them all in, hugging both Izzy and Jace tightly as they walked past. Max went to sit straight down on the couch, and Jace was carrying bags of what Alec assumed Izzy was cooking tonight. Peering into the bag, he saw something that somewhat resembled pasta, along with pots of sauces, smelling very strongly of alcohol.

“Izzy? You do realise that Max is underage and I can barely drink?” He asked, pointing at the bag.

“Alcohol burns off whilst cooking, I thought you knew that!” She chuckled.

“Anything involving you and burning things is not gonna end well.” Jace added, smirking at Alec, who smiled back, barely containing his laughter. Izzy hit him, hard.

“Jace! I’ve been taking lessons!”

“She means she watched one recipe video on YouTube.” Max said, joining in. Izzy looked around in pretend shock, feigning annoyance.

“I never thought that all of my siblings would be against me, but here we are.” She said, flipping her hair sassily. “Now, leave the master at work, you three go and sit down.” Izzy snatched the bags from Jace, placing them on the side, before ushering the boys to sit down.

“Actually, is it okay if I take a shower? I went for a jog this afternoon, and I haven't showered since.”

“Go ahead, we’ll be here.” Jace said, staring at the tv with Max, taking no notice but still managing to at least sound like he cares. Alec shook his head as he left the room, he loved his siblings.

Grabbing his phone, he typed; _They were fine, they even brought Max, my younger brother._

_I told you they’d be okay, always trust Magnus Bane._

Alec put his phone down on the sink, before turning on the shower and taking his shirt off. He looked into the mirror and sighed. The ugly scarring from getting shot in the stomach seemed irritated today. Touching it, he winced, clenching his muscles. It still hurt like hell sometimes, his physiotherapist told him before he was discharged that it will most definitely be there forever, and would hurt from time to time, as his brain reminded him of what happened. They were called phantom pains, Alec was told, and they would fade in time, along with the scar. He was lucky to still be alive; f the wound was any higher, his surgeon told him that he could’ve punctured a lung.

Leaving the mirror, Alec took the rest of his clothes of and got in the shower, wincing again when the hot water his stomach. He had yet to have kicked the habit of really short showers, even though his apartment block apparently had a lot of water. Maybe because it was full of vets. He was out of the shower within 5 minutes. Wrapping a towel around his waist, and running a hand through his still dripping hair, Alec left to his bedroom to get changed. He heard his siblings laughing from down the hall, and that was all he needed to distract himself from the faint pain.

 

 

“Who’s Magnus Bane and why does he keep texting you?” Max asked, coming back from the bathroom after having to throw a pan in the sink with Alec’s phone in his hand. Izzy’s food had been a failure, how pasta caught on fire, he’d never know. But now All of Alec’s sinks had the pans she used in them, trying to cool them down.

Before Alec replied, Izzy shrieked. _“_ You’ve been talking to Magnus! Why didn’t you tell us about it.”

“Yeah, he’s totally out of your league.” Jace said, forever the supportive sibling.

“Izzy, chill. Jace, that was rude.” Alec said, snatching his phone from Max and putting it in his pocket. “We’ve been talking literally since last night, Clary gave him my number.”

“Okay.” Izzy said, stressing the vowels as if she knew something else. A knock on the door stopped him from saying anything, and he turned to get their food. Giving the girl some money and muttering thanks, he shut the door and walked back to his siblings. When he got there, all of them were smiling suspiciously. Alec chose to ignore it, he knew they were talking about him.

 

 

“Alec! This food is great!” Max said.

“Max, you’ve had this before. Last time Izzy’s cooking failed.” Izzy swatted him on the shoulder.

“But I got something else that time, this is a lot different.” Max said happily and Alec laughed, his brother could see the excitement in everything. Ever since he was a child, he’d been able to do this, always the one to cheer someone up.

“Guys, Clary’s having her first gallery opening the Friday after next, and she's asked you all to come.” Jace interrupted.

“Oh wow! Tell her congrats from me, of course I’d like to come. These probably will too, right?” Alec said, gesturing at the others. They nodded, saying that they were coming too, and Jace smiled.

“I’ll tell her. Thanks, guys, she’s really excited.” He said, and Alec heard the adoration in his voice.

 

Izzy had changed the subject into her work, and Alec couldn't help but say, “Aldertree was a dick again. He sent me home after he told me that I was lucky that I had PTSD.”

Izzy gasped. “You really need to leave that job, Alec.”

“I know, but I really need the money.” He answered, sighing.

“Why don’t you start writing, again?” Max suggested. “You used to love it back in high school, I remember when I was eleven and you showed me all of these drafts for your first novel. I thought it was your dream.”

“Writing doesn’t pay the bills until you get published.”

“You could freelance. I’ve heard that it is really easy nowadays.” Jace added. “And then you could do that, as well as writing that book of yours.”

Alec shrugged. “I don’t know what to do. I do need to keep the job, but I can’t keep doing this.”

“No, you can’t. Ugh, I’m going to fight him.” Izzy said.

“No, you’re not. Look, maybe I’ll do some more writing again, see if I still like it. I can’t be careless and quit my job if I don’t.”

“That’s a good idea. If it doesn’t work out, you can always come and work with me!” Jace owned a coffee shop, called ‘Java Jace’. Max had named it.

“As much as I love you, Jace, I really do not want to work with you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope you enjoy this. I'm a bit iffy about this chapter, it's definitely not my best, but I hope you like it. The next chapter will be up at some point soon.


	3. Therapy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is definitely a filler chapter and not my best, but I hope you like it! 
> 
> As usual, this is not beta'd, so any errors are my fault.

It was Monday and Alec had had a good weekend. His family had stayed until the early hours of Sunday morning, Max having stayed overnight in the spare bedroom opposite his. It was the first night in almost a month where he wasn’t awakened by memories of war. Max had left around three pm, needing to get back home to New Jersey, the house where they all grew up.

Alec had spent the rest of the day trying to find the novel that was in question the night before. He couldn’t find it on his laptop so he thought it was on his old one instead, back at home. He gave up with looking after that, interrupted by Magnus messaging him. He spent the rest of the afternoon talking to him about all sorts of little things, where he grew up, what he liked to do and more.

 They talked for what felt like half an hour, but in reality, it was more like five hours.

And again, now it was Monday. Alec had the morning off as he had booked a session of therapy for ten am.  He went on his early morning run for the first time since the Thursday before, trying to get back into a routine. He got back home to find a message waiting.

_I’ve heard from a certain Clary that you are going to her first gallery opening next Friday? As am I! x_

Alec smiled, a happy but unexpected feeling flooded into his stomach. Were they going to meet? _Does that mean we’re going to meet?_

 _If you want to, darling. I hope I live up to your expectations._ Magnus replied moments later.

_As long as you’re not an axe murderer, and I am 99% sure that you’re not, I’m sure we’ll get along just fine._

Alec liked how Magnus texted in full sentences, for he did too. He didn’t really understand ‘text speech’, why would you abbreviate things that were already short?

 _I have to go now, for therapy._ He added, before picking his stuff up and leaving his apartment.

 _Goodbye Alexander, I am looking forward to seeing your, no doubt, gorgeous face._ The unread message in his pocket said.

*******

 

The VA was relatively empty.  There was the receptionist sitting behind the desk, and a couple of people sitting waiting for their appointments. Alec took a seat next to the wall but only for a minute, Lydia was out and gesturing him to follow her almost immediately. He followed her to her office, sitting down on the couch place against the wall, with her in the comfy chair opposite.

“Hey, Alec. How are you?” She asked sincerely. She always started her sessions with how he was at that minute.

“Hey, Ms Branwell. I’m good. I had a good weekend, with my siblings.”

“Please, Alec. You don’t have to use formalities, Lydia is fine,” she answered and Alec blushed slightly, mumbling a sorry. “There’s no need to apologise, I know that you have had to use them for all of your life, that’s a hard habit to get rid of, I would know.”

 Lydia did a tour in Afghanistan and got out relatively unscathed, but even she had experiences with mental illness and not being able to fit into civilian life after coming back. She had told him all of this during their second session, back when Alec refused to talk during them. He warmed to her after he knew that she had been through some of the same stuff, too.

“Talk to me about these past few days. You said they were good?” She said.

“Yeah, well, for the most part. I went to Simon’s gig on Friday. I’ve talked about Simon before, right?” He paused, and at the nod of affirmation, he continued. “I hung out with my sister and Maia there. I left early, though. The sound was getting too much and I was tired; I needed to leave. They understood, of course.”

“That’s good, Alec.” She paused and smiled, running her hand through her blonde hair. “It’s good that you knew your limits, that you left when you felt you needed too. What about Saturday?”

“Saturday wasn’t so good. Well, the evening was, but the morning really was not.”

“What happened?” She asked.

Alec shifted in his seat. “Work was not good. Aldertree had a go at me and then I snapped and he sent me home.”

“What was it about?”

“Apparently, I’m lucky that I have PTSD, depression and anxiety, and that I am suited to jobs that include violence. According to him, anyway.” He answered, rubbing his face anxiously.

“He is a terrible person, Alec. He shouldn’t have said anything. It perfectly acceptable that you snapped at him.”

“I don’t want that job anymore,” he finally admitted, “but I really need the money.”

“Always remember that there are other things you can do. You like writing and stuff, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I was talking about that with my siblings, but there is no way I can live off just writing unless I freelance or get another job or something.” He said. “I would like to do that though, I’ve always had an interest.”

“You should give it a go! It’s great that you have interests in things again.” Alec nodded, although he felt uncomfortable.

“Can we talk about something else? I don’t want to talk about work anymore.” He said, and they moved into a conversation about how his meds were working and his nightmares.

 

  *****

 

“Oh wow, look at the time. We’ve only got 5 minutes left, is there anything you’d like to say?" 

Alec wanted to say something about Magnus, he felt as if he needed someone to talk to that didn't know him, unbiased input on what he should do.

“I’ve met someone,” Alec blurted out. “Well, kind of.”

“Elaborate on the ‘kind of’?” Lydia asked with one eyebrow raised.

“Magnus. Clary gave him my number, and we’ve been texting for a few days and he’s so nice, but it the first time since I've come back that someone has actually shown any interest in me,” he paused, thinking about what he was to say next. “We’re meeting next Friday. Clary has her gallery opening and we’re both going. I don't know what to do, what if he doesn't like me?”

“This is great, that you’re thinking about relationships and stuff. I know how you are feeling, too, when you say that you feel like you’re going to mess something up. The paranoia. All I can say is to go for it, you only get one chance with people, and it’s up to you, as well as Magnus, to make it work.” Lydia finished with a bright smile.

“Thank you,” Alec replied, feeling happier.

“It’s my job, Alec. Now, remember that these new meds I’ve prescribed you are known to make people drowsy, so it’s important to take them right before you go to sleep, you can get them from the front desk.” She said, changing the subject as she stood up, Alec following.

Lydia handed him the prescription sheet, placing a hand on his elbow in the process. “Now, I think it’s best to have these sessions once a week? You haven’t really been in this past month and I really think you’d benefit from it. Just think about it for me, Okay?”

Alec nodded, before saying goodbye and stepping out of her office. He closed the door behind him, before walking up to the front desk. He gave the prescription to the receptionist, before hearing the main door open, turning around as it piqued his curiosity.

It was the man again. The God with the beautiful golden skin, makeup and hair effortless. The man who flirted with him as he brought his boss' parcel to his office. He was dressed in a blue delivery jacket, but this time he was wearing jeans so tight that they looked painted on, as well as a shirt that was practically sheer.

He was beautiful. And he was walking up to the desk, winking at Alec on his way.

“It seems like fate is with us, meeting you again.” He practically purred, placing the parcel on the desk in front of them both.

Already, Alec was blushing. “Sure seems that way.” He managed to get out, his brain freezing. 

At this moment, the woman came back with the bottle of pills and handed them to Alec. “I, uh, better get going.” He continued, half-heartedly gesturing to the door.

“Sure, darling, don’t let me keep you.” The man answered, smirking.

Alec stepped out of the building, failing to stop himself from looking back on the way. He rubbed his face and stuffed the pills in his pocket, grabbing his phone to read the text that he missed from earlier. He blushed once more, it seemed like it was going to be permanent. He decided to play along, though, realising that he was much better at keeping his cool over a message, rather than face-to-face.

 _And I, yours._ He replied, before putting his phone away and walking to his favourite deli, just a few blocks away. He was meant to be meeting Maia there for lunch, and he was already late, seeing how his appointment ran over.

 

*****

 

The deli was busy with it being lunch rush and all, but he saw Maia sitting by a table in the corner, away from the main crowd. He walked up to see food already waiting in his place.

“I got you your usual,” Maia said in lieu of a greeting.

Alec sat down, “Ah, thanks. I was starving,” he answered happily.

“I’ve heard from a certain sister of yours that you have been talking to Magnus. Did Clary _finally_ do good?” Maia asked, sharing his fake hatred of the Fray.

“I guess so,” Alec replied, not even denying it anymore. “Hey, I didn’t know you were talking to Izzy again?”

Maia bit her lip and sighed. “Well, after you left on Friday, we kinda talked for a bit, a few hours, really.”

“And that’s all you did? Talked?” He questioned.

“Yeah, Alec. But we’re seeing each other this weekend.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t say anything on Saturday, she usually loves to talk about thing like this,” Alec answered, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

“It’s nothing serious, we’re just friends,” Maia said when she finished a bite. Alec muttered _sure_ under his breath, and Maia caught his eye. “I swear!” She continued.

“Let’s talk about you, how’s work?” Maia asked, changing the subject.

Alec began his rant about his boss, what he said to him, how he reacted. He talked about how everyone was telling him to get back into writing, Lydia included, and he was seriously considering it now.

“That’d be great for you. You know, I have experience in editing, I could help you if you’d like.” Maia interned at a publishing firm 3 days a week. It wasn’t something she was particularly interested in, but it was paid and Luke got it for her, so she was sticking with it. She was good at what she was doing, being highly praised by her supervisor to the point that she was in the running to get an actual position there.

“If you want, I haven’t written since _before_ though, so I don’t know if I’m any good at it.

“Just give it a try, yeah? I’m just a phone call away if you need to rant about what you’re writing or anything else, I always find that helps.”

“Yeah, okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO MUCH DIALOGUE.
> 
> Any feedback is appreciated!
> 
> Come and rant at me at my [tumblr](www.imjustoutofideas.tumblr.com) or my [twitter](www.twitter.com/maiasbaness).


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay. My computer literally melted so I lost chapter 4 & 5 because stupid me didn't back it up. I then went to Greece for a week and didn't bring my mum's laptop, so I couldn't write there.
> 
> There are minor descriptions of violence in this chapter, but only mentioned a couple of times. This is a warning, though, if that affects you, please do not read this chapter. 
> 
> I almost cried writing this chapter. Good luck!

It was the next weekend, and this time Alec had the whole thing off. His week wasn’t bad, in the end. Nothing happened at work, in fact, Victor had barely talked to him. He had continued to talk to Magnus, thanks to Lydia’s advice. He hadn’t seen the man again, perhaps the person above just didn’t want to let him know his name.

He had been writing this past week, but couldn’t concentrate on it. Instead, he grilled Magnus for ideas, but that didn’t get him anywhere. Instead, it just brought them closer, as they just told each other stories of their lives.

It was six days until Clary’s gallery, six days until they met, and Alec had begun to realise just how happy he was to meet him. He hadn’t felt this way about someone for so long, if ever, and to feel like this after coming back from war, it made him feel alive again. Excited, even.

 

Saturday brought Jace and Izzy around again, no Max this time. It was exam season and he was a senior in high school, it was amazing that he had managed to get away from studying the previous weekend. Alec was cooking this time, a hobby he had begun to find these past months. He was good too. According to his friends, anyway. He’d never cooked for someone unbiased before. Well, he had cooked for Maia, who was pretty opinionated.

 

It was mid-afternoon, and Alec had just gotten back from the store nearby, carrying two full bags of ingredients for the pizzas he was planning on making for the evening. As he got into his apartment, closing the door with his foot, his phone buzzed. Alec placed the bags on the counter and ran his hand through his hair before grabbing his phone from his pocket.

 

 _How’s my favourite writer today?_ The text read. It was from Magnus, of course. Alec blushed for no one to see before replying.

 

_You’d have to write something to be a writer, Magnus._

_How’s my favourite writer to be, then?_ He corrected.

 

 _Feeling good. How’s my favourite designer to be?_ Alec replied, imitating the message.

 

_Amazing, Alexander. Chairman is being evil, though._

 

_Chairman?_

_Chairman Meow? Did I not tell you I had a cat? <Img_3201 added>_

 

Alec opened the image to see a small, grumpy ball of fluff sitting on the chest of an amazing dressed man. He couldn’t see Magnus’ face, though.

 

_You named your cat after a Chinese dictator? You know what, I’m not even going to question that._

_Probably for the best, darling. I was very drunk._

Alec put his phone away, realising that the time was already 4 pm, and his siblings were arriving in an hour. He put the food that needed to go in the fridge away, before going to his bathroom to take a shower.

 

***

It was ten to five, and Alec was ready. He was dressed in a deep blue sweater that Izzy had bought for him one Christmas over a grey t-shirt, and an old pair of jeans that somehow still fit in relatively well. He decided to get a little head start on the pizza dough, grabbing the ingredients from out of the remaining bag he left on the counter and pouring a jug of water to pour the ingredients into.

 

As he poured the water into the flour, he heard a knock on the door, “It’s open!” he shouted.  He heard the door open and close, a murmur of voices and a loud ‘hey’ come from by the door.

“Hey,” he said as he felt lips on his cheek, Izzy. The dough was finished now, and he just had to put it in the fridge until it was ready to cook. As he did that he heard Jace jump onto his couch, a bag falling down by his feet. “What’s that?” Alec asked, turning around and motioning at the rucksack.

“Oh! This,” Jace replied, unzipping the bag, “now this, is your old computer. Izzy found it yesterday back in New Jersey.”

“Did you?” Alec asked in disbelief, looking at the sister in question. Everything he had written in his teenage years was on that laptop, the things he had been looking for all week.

“Well, it’s here, isn’t it?” Izzy answered, smirking as she took the laptop from Jace to give to Alec. Alec muttered thanks, before opening the top and turning it on. It was old and Alec would probably spend all night backing it up onto his laptop he had now, but he could finally see the draft he had written years ago.

He typed the password in and waited for it to boot up, smiling happily. The old ‘Windows’ sound pulled Jace and Izzy out of their conversation, turning to look at the computer.

“Ahh, the sweet, sweet nostalgia,” Jace said, causing Alec to laugh.

“Okay, so let’s get into the files,” Alec mumbled to himself, opening up the documents and finding the one he wanted to see. “Here we are!” he finished as ‘Word’ booted up slowly. He felt Izzy put her head on his shoulder to look at the screen from behind him. They read the first few pages together. It was nowhere near finished, but the plot seemed to be good.

 

It wasn’t bad; he had read worse. He couldn’t help but think it was shit compared to others, though, and Izzy picked up on his feelings.

“This is good, great even,” she said, reassuring him, “and you’re bound to have improved now, at least you’ve finished high school now.”

“I barely finished high school,” Alec countered, emphasising on ‘barely’. “Do you not remember how much of a shit-show senior year was for me?”

“Shush, Alec. Let me reassure you that this is great.” Izzy replied, finishing the conversation.

 

****

Alec was lying in bed, Izzy was asleep in the spare bedroom across and Jace on the couch. He was tossing and turning, struggling to get comfortable.

 

He wasn’t having a good night. Whenever he closed his eyes, he felt as if he was back in Syria. It was so frustrating, he had such a good day with his siblings, an evening of nostalgia, and yet his night was plagued by memories that he would much rather not have had. It wasn’t even as if it was a dream, where none of it was real. Everything that he re-lived when he closed his eyes, happened to him. It wasn’t a dream that he could move on from, something that he could leave behind.

He had no idea when or even if he was going to get better, both physically and mentally. And it he tried to act as if these things weren’t hurting him as much as they really did, for the happiness of the people closest to him. He didn’t want to be a burden to the people that he loved.

As if someone heard his inner monologue, his phone lit up and vibrated, showing that a person had texted him. Picking it up, he squinted at the light coming from the screen and looked at the time. 1:50am.

 

_Now, the question is what I wear for Friday. Any ideas, Alexander?_

 

Magnus had no idea that he couldn’t sleep, that his brain was stopping him from doing something he needed to do, and yet Magnus still managed somewhat to take his mind off of the memories.

 

_Don’t ask me, you’re the one with the fashion expertise here._

Magnus was working up in the world of fashion, slowly but surely. He was making portfolios for various businesses in New York, as well as creating children’s clothes for friends and family. Alec was pretty sure he had a part time job too, a boring one, but he had never asked, nor told, what it was.

His phone buzzed twice, signalling two messages.

 

_Now that you mention it, you did tell me once that your sister used to have to choose your outfits during the whole of high school._

_Also, any reason why you’re up at 2 am?_

Alec blushed for no one to see, why did he tell him that?

 

 _Any reason why YOU are up at 2 am?_ He countered. The reply took a couple minutes.

_It’s common for me, what can I say, always the party animal. Also, I asked you first._

_Watching The Bachelor with your cat is not a party, Magnus. Anyway, I’m just having trouble sleeping, is all._

It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth.

 

 _Do you want to talk about it? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, of course._ The reply this time was instant.

 

 _No, I do. It’s just hard._ Alec sent. Fuck it, he thought.

 

_Can I call you? I know we haven’t before, but I need to talk about this, or at least take my mind off of it. I don’t know._

In seconds, his phone began to ring.

“I’m all ears if you need me to be.” Magnus opened with, causing Alec to relax. His voice felt… familiar? As if he had heard it before.

“It’s just – you know I said that I was going to therapy? I had to go because,” Alec paused, sighing. “I was in the army. Did a tour in the middle east and got hurt. And tonight has just been hard.” Alec felt at ease; as if he could talk to him and he wasn’t going to be judged. It was weird, he hadn’t felt like this in a long, long time.

“Hurt how?” Magnus asked, “I don’t mean to pry, of course, darling.”

 _Fuck it,_ Alec thought. Magnus was the first person who would listen to him without judging, who wasn’t his therapist. “There was an ambush. I got shot, in the stomach. I got out though, rescued. My best friend, Aline, died in front of me.”

He heard a gasp in his ear. “That’s so terrible, Alec. It’s okay to have bad days, let alone if you’ve gone through this. I really, _really_ hope you know that.” Magnus answered, emotion in his voice. It was so beyond Alec, how this person just cared so much about a stranger. But Alec was feeling it too.

“Thank you. I just see it sometimes, flashbacks,” Alec replied, lying down on his bed, “I can’t get it out of my head.” He didn’t know when he started, but he was crying, almost silent sobs that only the people closest to him could pick up on. Or Magnus, apparently.

“Alec, it’s okay, you’re safe. You’re not there anymore, you are safe in New York with your family. They’re in your apartment, aren’t they?” Alec said yes, his voice surprisingly clear for someone who was crying. “Go get them, I don’t want you to be alone right now, and I don’t think you do, either.”

“Okay, okay. Thank you. Magnus.” His voice broke on his name, and Alec wiped his eyes.

“I told you I’d listen to you, didn’t I? If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. I know it’s hard sometimes. To ask for help. Goodnight, Alexander.”

“Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left! I hope you have enjoyed this fic.  
> Any comments are very appreciated. :)
> 
> As usual, my twitter is [here](http://www.twitter.com/maiasbaness) and my tumblr is [here](http://www.imjustoutofideas.tumblr.com)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are. Thank you for all your love whilst I wrote this, and thank you for sticking with me through all of the delays. I expected this to be finished last month, but A LOT of computer problems stopped that from happening.
> 
> I'll see you at the end!

 

The next week was good. Alec had taken it off, needing a few days to take a break. He spent it rewriting the book he wrote in his teens; as soon as he woke up, whilst he ate, as he hung out with his friends, and when he couldn’t sleep. He loved it.

He seemed to be closer with Magnus, too. After he talked to him, he took his advice and went to find his sister. He slept in her room, and in the morning, Jace joined them too. Since then, they were practically talking non-stop, only stopping whilst Magnus was doing his day job, or they were sleeping.

It was the morning of Clary’s opening. He had to get to the gallery for 7 pm, but not before picking up both Izzy and Max from Izzy’s apartment.

He was panicking.

Well, not really. But he had this weird feeling in his stomach in the morning, and called his sister, telling her that he felt as if he was ill.

“You’re just nervous about meeting Magnus, you’re bound to be! It’s not every day you meet a cute man that you’ve been talking to for weeks,” was her advice. Perhaps a little misguided, but Alec took it anyway.

Yes, he was nervous to meet Magnus, but not just because they had been talking for a while. He trusted him, and Magnus was one of the few people he did trust, who weren’t his siblings. He was scared that it was too good to be true, that something was going to happen and his trust was broken.

He hoped that he would get proven wrong.

***

 

Seven pm was getting closer and closer, and Alec had no idea what to wear. His whole wardrobe was black and he had maybe one thing that was suitable for a night like this, his tux from his sister’s senior prom, where she took him as her date. He was bigger now then he was then, his shoulders were broader and he filled out clothes a lot more now than he did then.

He needed to go shopping.

Alec decided to go with Maia, she was free and she would tell him what suited him and what did not. They went to a store that Alec usually wouldn't find himself dead in, and yet today he was in there finding something to wear for the evening. He had left this way too late.

"What about this?" Maia asked, interrupting his inner monologue, "It's smart and has colour and it's hot, Izzy would be proud."

Alec tried it on. Maia was right, Izzy would be proud. The suit jacket was black, something he would be comfortable in, but the shirt. Wow. It was a dark navy, tight, slightly sheer shirt. It left a lot to the imagination, still, but it was just see through enough to see the outline of his abs through it. The buttons were a dim gold, contrasting the navy perfectly.

"Wow, Alec," Maia said as soon as he stepped out of the changing room. "You look amazing, Magnus is going to be so in love with you." Alec blushed, sighing deeply.

"You and I both know that this is too much for me."

"Alec! You have to wear this shirt, it's perfect," Maia countered, standing up from the sofa she was sitting on to walk over to him. "You look amazing. Please believe that."

Alec's insecurities stemmed from the scar running down his stomach, that if you looked hard enough, you could see it through the shirt. He had come to terms with it, but it was still something that knocked his confidence every time he went to the gym and had to get changed. This felt no different to him.

"Also," Maia continued, seemingly picking up on his apprehensions, "scars are hot. Man, if only we were both straight, we'd be the hottest couple." This earned a chuckle from Alec.

"No offence, Maia, not only am I way too gay, but I wouldn't date you even if I did like girls. You are way too in love with my sister for that." Alec was smacked on the shoulder even before he finished that sentence.

 

**

 

It was 6:30, time for Alec to pick up Max and Izzy. He had picked up a bottle of wine for Clary on his way to his sister’s apartment and was now on his way up the stairs of the building. He had a key for her apartment, so he just let himself in. He was greeted to Izzy finishing up her makeup, and Max sitting on the couch on his phone.

“Hey guys, don’t tell Jace, but how are my favourite siblings doing?” Alec interrupted.

“Who are you and what have you done with our brother? You look amazing!” Izzy said as she turned to look at him.

“Thanks… I think?” Alec replied, raising an eyebrow and shaking his head. “Are you both ready to go? We’re gonna be late.”

“Yup,” Max answered. Alec’s phone buzzed.

_Looking forward to finally meeting you tonight, Alexander._

“Is that Magnus? Let me see!” Izzy said, jumping up out of her chair.

“No!” Alec replied, lifting his phone up above his head.

“So it’s definitely Magnus,” Max finished, judging his brother’s reaction.

“Shut up,” Alec said, shoving his phone into his jacket’s pocket. “Let’s go.”

They got to the gallery on time, somehow. It was a small warehouse, owned by Jocelyn, Clary’s mother. As soon as they got out of the car, Clary and Jace walked up to them. Jace hugged them all, lingering by Clary once he had done.

“Hey, thanks for coming, guys,” Clary said, smiling happily. “I really appreciate it.”

“No worries, Clary,” Izzy answered, hugging her. “Come on, let’s get champagne.” They began to walk in, but before they did, he heard a shout from behind him.

“Clary!” The man shouted, and Alec recognised that voice. It was Magnus. Both him and Clary turned around, the others making their way inside. Alec gasped.

Magnus Bane was the delivery man. The one that flirted with him, both at work and after therapy. The flawlessly beautiful man that Alec had only wished that he got his name. Who he wished he would see again.

He was even more beautiful than last time, out of his delivery uniform. Magnus’ perfectly styled hair glittered purple when the setting sun landed on it, and his eyes were surrounded by black kohl eyeliner, smudged effortlessly. The sun hit his cheekbones in a way that highlighted his beauty.

His outfit was something else. He had a deep purple shirt with gold buttons that glittered in the evening sun. It was only buttoned half up, starting mid stomach and leaving his chest uncovered. His pants hugged his legs in all the right places, and his black jacket fell to his thighs. On someone else, the oversized jacket probably wouldn’t work with the rest of the outfit, but on him, Alec thought, looked perfect.

But it wasn’t just that, this was the person who he had for some reason poured out his heart too without even meeting him (although now he knows that he did, in fact, know him), a person that he felt so close to even though he didn’t know him.  Alec wanted to do something, but he was seemingly frozen.

“This is,” he heard coming from the side of him, “Alec!”

This brought him back down to earth, Magnus Bane was in front of him. With that same smirk that drew him to the man who delivered the parcel a few weeks back.

“This has been long overdue, hasn’t it, Alexander?” Magnus asked, touching Alec’s wrist as if they had known each other for years. They had, in a way, known each other for what felt like years, at least. “But we’ve already met? I could recognise that face from anywhere.”

Alec nodded, speechless in the moment. This whole thing was so weird. He was almost falling in love with a guy he had never met, but he had met him. And he was beautiful, inside and out.

“Yeah, yeah we have.” Alec finally said, a blush on his features.  Time felt as if it had stopped, but in a good way, as if right here, right now, was the only thing that mattered.

He hadn’t felt this way in so long. If ever.

This thing, whatever it was, was a new feeling.

“Well, Alexander, would you like to grab a drink?” Magnus asked, gesturing vaguely towards the building. “It’s a free bar, and what’s better than that?” He finished, smiling at Alec. Lydia had told him that on his new medication he could drink, albeit being just a few beers.

He nodded. “Lead the way.”

**

6 months later

 

Waking up to an empty bed was not a common occurrence nowadays, and Magnus was confused. Alec had been staying over the past couple weeks, only going home to get things he needed. It was weird waking up with someone for a while, and then your bed being empty, save for a cat.

“Where’s Alec, huh?” Magnus asked Chairman Meow, scratching under his chin as he purred affectionately. “Shall we go find him?” Chairman purred louder at that, and so Magnus got up out of bed and threw on a t-shirt. He padded into the living room to find Alec asleep on the couch, with his laptop on his chest.

Magnus sighed, he had been working too hard to reach the deadline that Maia’s boss had set him for the first draft of the book he had been working on. Reaching to close the laptop and placing it on the table, Magnus pressed a kiss to Alec’s forehead.

Alec stirred, opening his eyes. “Hey, Magnus.”

“Hey, darling, you seemed to have fallen asleep here, again.”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep and I needed something to occupy my mind.” Alec replied, apology clear in his eyes.

  
“Don’t apologise, Alexander. There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Magnus replied, pressing another kiss to the other man’s lips.  “How’s the book going?”

“Come here,” Alec replied, patting his leg. “Let me show you, it’s finished!” He continued, breathing a sigh of relief. Magnus could tell just how excited and relaxed he was. The deadline for the first draft was tonight, and he knew that it was stressing Alec out. Magnus sat down, basically in Alec’s lap and began to read the last few pages, the ones he hadn’t read yet. He had read the rest, throughout the breakdowns Alec had about deadlines and stress. He knew that his boyfriend enjoyed writing, but he was still working as well. He had, however, put in his 30-day notice.

“This is so good, Alec. Book-worthy. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, babe,” Alec said, resting his head on Magnus’ shoulder. “You think I’m really ready to send it to Maia?”

“Of course, Alexander.”

Magnus watched as Alec composed an email to his best friend, turned editor. He watched him attach the file and send it off. He watched his eye’s light up, unshed tears obvious.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing, I’m just _so happy,_ ” Alec replied, turning to face Magnus with a smile that could light up the room. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Magnus replied and they kissed once more, savouring each other like it was the first time that they kissed.

“Thank you so much, Magnus,” Alec mumbled after he broke away from the kiss. “For being here for me, even before we met each other.”

“It’s all my pleasure, Alec. I’m so happy for you.” Magnus finished, hugging his boyfriend and staying there on the couch for what felt like hours.

If Izzy still found them on the couch in the afternoon, it definitely had been hours.

Magnus had never believed in true love. He had had his heart broken countless times by people he had thought loved him, so he swore to himself that he wouldn’t get involved with anyone.

This was why he was surprised when he began to talk to Alec, someone so genuine and lovely that he thought was too good to be true. They both had their own flaws and troubles, but they seemed to click in a way that he had never had with anyone before.

He now did believe in true love, soulmates who found each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so much for reading this mess of a fanfiction. It's bittersweet, isn't it? This is my first chaptered fanfiction that I've written in almost 3 years, and it's been the thing that has gotten me back into writing. 
> 
> If you want to stay updated with what I'm writing next, or even just my life, [here's my twitter!](http://www.twitter.com/banekadena)
> 
> I also update my Tumblr, albeit rarely, so maybe consider finding me [here](www.imjustoutofideas.tumblr.com).
> 
> Leave a comment perhaps? I love your input and you could also give me some ideas on what to write next? (This is me desperate for prompts, maybe consider giving me a few in the comments or my dms?)
> 
> Thank you.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this! There will not be a set schedule, as, from previous experience, I struggle greatly to stick to them, I get so stressed, and then I just can't write. 
> 
> All information about PTSD is from my brother and his experiences, as well as a little bit of research, but of course, everyone is different and I'm very sorry about any inaccuracies.
> 
> As usual, this is not beta'd, so any errors are my fault.


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